A look at how tourism is faring post-pandemic

By Brooke Strickland

When the pandemic hit, the hospitality and tourism industry saw some of the biggest losses. For economies and cities that were tourism-dependent, those losses were devastating. But, as things began opening back up and visitors began feeling more comfortable to venture out into the new normal, the industry rebounded significantly, and Idaho was no different.

Today, more and more people are continuing to discover the magic of Idaho and experience its rugged beauty, friendly people and vibrant businesses ? all of which make the state so special.

Jeremy Chase, marketing and innovation administrator for Idaho Commerce , shared that lodging tax growth is at about 1.8% growth year-over-year currently, and all of Idaho’s seven travel regions experienced increased growth during the last three fiscal years. He said part of that is due to the two initiatives that the organization launched ? Travel with Care (teaching travelers to be good stewards of Idaho’s outdoors), and Beyond Known Destinations (promoting lesser-known tourism opportunities across the state).

“We are excited to continue amplifying both initiatives in the future our increased visitation in recent years is a highlight,” he explained. “We have seen more tourism development occur across the state in recent years, particularly new hotel construction.”

Carrie Westergard, executive director for Visit Boise, also shared that the city is back to pre-pandemic numbers and Boise alone brings in about $4.8 billion in direct travel spending to the state.

Downtown Boise is experiencing a new wave of hotel development, which will not only provide lodging, but more corporate venues, too. The new Avery Hotel + Brasserie, which opened last year,

is a carefully restored building that provides 39 rooms, a restaurant, gastropub and bar. Two more boutique hotels plan on opening by the end of summer, including Hotel Renegade ? which opened in May ? and The Sparrow. Hotel Renegade offers 122 rooms, a coffee shop, Boise’s first supper club and a dedicated meeting space. The Sparrow will have 67 rooms, an open-air patio overlooking Grove Street, and a brewery of the month program that highlights and infuses business to local breweries. Two Marriott brands, Element and AC, will add another 296 rooms to the market in a dual-concept project, estimated to be completed late 2026. The hotel will be 15 stories tall and located just a few blocks from Boise Centre.

“A favorite part of my job is introducing new people to the city that we love,” Westergard said. “More and more, travelers are looking for authentic experiences, and Boise is a great place for those moments. The future looks bright as more hotels and potential facilities are expanded/built and visitors discover all that Boise has to offer. Our vibrant nightlife, clean, walkable downtown and wide variety of dining, shopping and recreation opportunities are what sometimes surprise people, and keeps them coming back and telling their friends.”

Denae Warren, executive director for Destination Caldwell, explained that at a recent Southwest Idaho Travel Association industry conference, she learned that Idaho in fact showed a slight increase in travelers during the pandemic, because it didn’t have as many restrictions as other neighboring states. That growth has been sustained in recent years and has spurred interest from hoteliers.

“Hospitality groups see the potential in Caldwell, from our charming historic downtown with the creek winding through it, the programmed Indian Creek Plaza, to the burgeoning wine region in the Sunnyslope region of Caldwell,” Warren said.

One unique thing that Destination Caldwell started offering in the last year is a paid, guided agritourism experience. This has been a unique and effective way of introducing people to the beauty of Idaho and the people that keep it thriving.

“Our AgVenture Tours take 14 guests out to the Snake River AVA (American Viticulture Area) and Sunnyslope region several Fridays a month to visit farmers, ranchers, growers and producers, onsite from May to October,” Warren said. “Our goal with these tours is to highlight untraversed places and to connect and educate travelers on food sources, farming practices and sustainability.

The future of tourism is a balance between preserving wild, open spaces that draw travelers into our region while providing amenities that guests expect when they visit an award-winning wine region.”

For Brundage Mountain Resort, one of Idaho’s iconic resort destinations, the future looks bright. Ken Rider, general manager at the resort, said that overall numbers of visitors, both from in-state and out-of-state are on the rise, and to better accommodate an increase in visitors, the resort launched a $25 to $30 million 10-year improvement plan in November 2021. So far, they are already making great headway on it. Last winter, they boosted chairlift capacity with the Centennial Express High-Speed Quad and this coming winter, there will be a new 17,000-square-foot Mountain Adventure Center.

“We’ve also made significant investments in employee housing, to ensure that we can attract high-quality employees even though our community is experiencing a housing crunch,” Rider explained. “Again, we started working on these initiatives many years ago, but the investments are proving to be crucial as we keep pace with the growth of visitation from both inside and outside of Idaho. The future looks bright! Brundage Mountain is excited to continue to focus on the overall guest experience for all our visitors.”

Looking ahead, Idaho will no doubt continue to win over the hearts of people from all over the world.

“Tourism has a direct and positive impact on our local community and quality of life by boosting the economy through increased revenue from spending on dining, hotels and attractions,” Westergard said.

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